Member Insights by LOTH, Inc.
How to integrate your “work from home” and “return to work” teams
Over the course of the past several weeks, teams across the country have had no choice but to jump on board with their company’s virtual collaboration plan. Whether you’ve integrated Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or Skype, you may have actually grown to like your chosen platform and have witnessed first-hand the benefits of utilizing the technology. The inevitable return to the office doesn’t mean you’ve wasted your time navigating the software – now is the time to expand on how to integrate your newly adopted communication mode into the workplace.
Working Together, 6′ Apart
The Steelcase Bivi offers great flexibility for collaborative teams. A monitor mount arch is available to allow for virtual meetings and the work surface width maintains a safe distance between employees.
Simple fixes such as removing every other chair from tighter conference tables or teams tables will enable teams to meet without having to be elbow to elbow. Easy, mobile, division screens such as the Turnstone Clipper are available to help control traffic flow and distance around furniture. Do you have branded items such as stickers or labels? Use them on surfaces to indicate 6′ increments on large conference tables. Stand alone walls or large mobile whiteboards add architectural division without the construction cost and maintains an open feel in your space. Having storage nearby in meeting areas provides a home to cleaning wipes and sanitizer to prep the space for the next users.
Our Workplace Designers compiled these renderings and images to show how you can still collaborate both face to face and virtually with your team. Some employees may not be able to return to work right away for various reasons while others are able to go ahead with the return to their desk. These setting suggestions will allow those groups to merge at a safe distance and successfully collaborate.
A Lasting Investment
Virtual collaboration has been around for years which means it’s a sound investment for your workplace. Microsoft Teams for example, allows project teams to store files, set up chats, house live documents and drastically cut down on emails. Zoom has allowed companies to virtually host meetings, webinars, tours, presentations and countless other communication uses that will be effective down the road as well as in the present climate.